Musical bell.



J. C. DEAGAN.

MUSICAL BELL.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. z, 1911.

Patented June 16, 1914 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MLUSICAL BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Original application led December 17, 1910, Serial No. 597,780. Divided and this application filed October 2, 1911. Serial No. 652,410.

`.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. DEAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Bells, (this application being a division of my application for a patent upon musical instruments filed December 17, 1910, Serial No. 597 ,7 80,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to musical bells and has a number of objects and advantages which will fully appear by a description of the preferred embodiments ofthe invention shown in the accompanying drawing, but to which embodiments I do not wish to be limited as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partially in section and partially broken away, of a bell and means for suspending the same as made in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows another view of the suspending mechanism and a modified form of bell structure; and Fig. 3 illustrates a bell, partially in section and partially in full elevation, in unbroken length.

Like parts are indicated by, similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The bell to which my invention relates is of tubular formation and is well adapted to be suspended from the top rail 15 of a supporting framework, the suspending means permitting the tube to hang free so that it may vibrate when struckv or otherwise operated upon for the purpose of setting up vibration. A musical instrument may be comosed of a number of these bells which vary 1n size and structure so as to produce different tones when set into vibration. A suspender which is supplied for supporting each tube is preferably, though not necessarily, in the form of a loop 19 whose sides pass very freely through holes 20 provided in a plug 21 sweated in to the upper end of each tube when the tube is made of bell metal, which is the preferred material though I do not wish to be limited to any particular metal. Holes 22 are drilled into opposite side portions of each tube that communicate with the holes 20. The loops 19, which may if desired be made of cat gut, have their ends pass through the openings 20 and 22, the free ends of the loops thereafter being knotted or otherwise provided with enlargements to prevent the withdrawal thereof from engagement with the metal about the holes 22. rIhe holes 22 in each tube are desirably located in close proximity to the nodal point near the top of the tube whereby to reduce or avoid any interfering influence which the suspender might have upon the vibration of the tube. The top rail 15 of the supporting frame is provided with hooks 23 that engage the loops as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 3, whereby the tubes are suspended.

I preferably provide each of the tubes with a pitch adjuster made in accordance with another feature of my invention. This pitch adjuster, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, includes a weight 24; evenly distributed about the axis of its tube and which desirably includes in its formation a threaded shank 25 in. engagement with the threaded lbore of a plug 26` in the lower end of the tube. The line of adjustment of the weight, or its axis of rotation, is substantially coincident with the axis of the tube. The weights 24 are desirably smaller when applied to the shorter tubes, see Fig. 3, though in each instance the threaded shank forms a material part of the adjusting weight. By turning the weight it may be adjusted longitudinally of the tube until the desired pitch adjustment is secured, the adjustment after having been secured being maintained by a lock nut 27.

I am aware tuning forks have been provided with adjustable weights, but the structure of the tuning fork is not adapted to the tuning of a tubularl bell, as may readily be understood by comparing the structure of Patent No. 37 5,654 granted to Segrove December 27, 1887, with the structure of my present application.

Having thus particularly described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following :-V

1. A suspended tubular musical bell having a plug 26 in one end thereof, this plug having a threaded bore substantially coaxial with the bell; and a weight provided nally of the bell as the Weight is turned, the

axis of rotation of the Weight and the axis of the tube being substantially coincident.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 15 mylname this 9 day of September, A. D.,

JOHN C. DEAGAN.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, C. P. LmDoN. 

